Sunny Sunday

The title may be a little misleading as this post is about a little more than a sunny Sunday.

Firstly, the new shoes are breaking in nicely, I done around thirty odd miles in them without any problems.

Wednesday saw me walking a couple of miles with the dogs then another two on my own.

Thursday, I walked from home to The Griffin via Hams Hall giving another 6.6 miles with another couple on Friday with the puppies.

Saturday started with an easy dog walk of three and a bit miles followed by another five on my own around Castle Bromwich.

Back home, I fed the dogs then took a very civilised soak in the hot hot; with a coffee as I watched the birds on the feeder.

After a bit of a catch up of household chores, my good lady and I took a trip into Birmingham, primarily to see a light display which is supposed to resemble the Northern Lights.

Whilst in the metropolis, we took the opportunity to visit the LEGO shop, grab a pint in The Wellington and have a bite to eat.

Apart from the heavens opening we had a most enjoyable afternoon so much so that Sue, who does not like Birmingham, has suggested that she could come into town one evening and meet me after work for a bevy.

Sunday morning was spent giving the bird cages a good clean but by one o’clock I was done and so prepared for a walk to, you guessed, The Griffin.

It was an unseasonably thirteen degrees and the forecast was dry and sunny for the rest of the day – well, until sunset.

For the first time this year, I chose shorts and a t-shirt and just after half one, left the house and into the sunshine.

The first half was not too exciting (to be honest, the second wasn’t a lot better) as I made my way through Water Orton and out towards Coleshill Parkway.

I did see a sign, as I approached Gypsy Lane, that the road would be closed from the twenty ninth for a week. When this has happened before the pedestrian access has remained.

I’m not a fan of HS2 but the works do, sometimes, provide good photo-opportunities one of which presented itself as I crossed the A446.

Instead of skirting Hams Hall, as I usually do, I walked straight through the middle of it, passing a load of, mainly foreign, trucks parked up waiting to receive or deliver stuff. All the roads in the distribution park are named after electrical engineers so we have Marconi, Edison, Canton (John Canton – I had to look him up – LINK ) and at the end of Faraday Avenue I exited the park onto Fishery Lane which would take me out towards Nether Whitacre.

After a wet and muddy field crossing, I was back on solid ground for a mile or so, through Nether Whitacre and on to Whitacre Heath.

Just before Whitacre Heath, I crossed another very wet field to reach a bridge over the railway and onto a track running parallel to it.

I did encounter a small dog being walked along here and as usual, I can’t help it, I called to him.

“He doesn’t like men” the owner explained and the dog came to me for a bit of fuss.
“You are honoured” I was told before we parted ways.

At the end of the track, I took Middle Lane (there are no upper / lower or right / left lanes) towards The Gate pub where I turned right to find this …

I gingerly, walked around the puddle to continue up towards Hoggrills End Lane and a muddy path leading down the hill to cross under the railway and onto another muddy path alongside the railway.

After more mud and lying water, I finally made it to The Griffin’s car park where I stopped my watch and noticed that I’d clocked up nine and a quarter miles.

Inside was very busy but after a few minutes a table (or at least half of it) became available which I grabbed shortly before Sue arrived.